Introduction

Released back in 1988 the Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 is one of the oldest Canon EF lenses but
it is still part of the current line-up. On APS-C DSLRs such as the EOS 350D/Digital RebelXT
(as usual used for testing) the moderate ultra wide-angle lens is transformed into
a moderate wide-angle equivalent to about 38mm.

The optical construction is made of 10 elements in 10 groups without any special elements.
It features a a floating system for improved close-focus performance which is certainly
something making it stand out a little from the usual crowd - its little sisters,
the EF 28mm f/2.8 and EF 35mm f/2, have to survive without for instance. It's minimum
focus distance is 0.25m resulting in a max. object magnification of ~1:6.
The aperture mechanism has 6 aperture blades. The filter size is 58mm.
With a weight of just 270g and a size of 67x49mm it is extremely compact and light-weight.

The build quality is fairly decent but it's a little dated by today's standards.
This is especially true for the focus ring which feels a little scratchy during operation - a
fate that it shares with most of its sister lenses from the same design era. The focusing speed
is pretty fast but it's a little on the noisy side. The front element does not rotate so
using a polarizer is no problem.